ANNEX N DIRECTION & CONTROL

Transcription

1 ANNEX N DIRECTION & CONTROL Hunt County, Texas Jurisdiction

2 APPROVAL & IMPLEMENTATION Annex N Direction & Control NOTE: The signature(s) will be based upon local administrative practices. Typically, the first signature block is used by the individual having primary responsibility for this emergency function and the second signature block is used by the Emergency Management Director or the Emergency Management Coordinator. Alternatively, each department head assigned tasks within the annex may sign the annex. N-i

3 RECORD OF CHANGES Annex N Direction and Control Change # Date of Change Entered By Date Entered N-i

4 ANNEX N DIRECTION AND CONTROL I. AUTHORITY Refer to Section I of the Basic Plan for general authorities. II. PURPOSE The purpose of this annex is to define the organization, operational concepts, responsibilities, and procedures necessary to accomplish direction and control for this jurisdiction. This annex describes our concept of operations and organization for direction and control of such operations and assigns responsibilities for tasks that must be carried out to perform the direction and control function. III. EXPLANATION OF TERMS DDC DHS DPS DSHS EMC EOC FEMA GDEM IC ICP ICS NIMS NRP SOP TLETS Disaster District Committee U.S. Department of Homeland Security Department of Public Safety Department of State Health Services Emergency Management Coordinator Emergency Operations Center Federal Emergency Management Agency Governor s Division of Emergency Management Incident Commander Incident Command Post Incident Command System National Incident Management System National Response Plan Standard Operating Procedures Texas Law Enforcement Telecommunications System IV. SITUATION & ASSUMPTIONS A. Situation 1. Our community is vulnerable to many hazards, which threaten public health and safety and public or private property. See the general situation statement and hazard summary in Section IV.A of the Basic Plan. 2. Our direction and control organization must be able to activate quickly at any time day or night, operate around the clock, and deal effectively with emergency situations that may N-1

5 begin with a single response discipline and could expand to multidiscipline requiring effective cross-jurisdictional coordination. These emergency situations include: a. Incident. An incident is a situation that is limited in scope and potential effects. Characteristics of an incident include: 1) Involves a limited area and/or limited population. 2) Evacuation or in-place sheltering is typically limited to the immediate area of the incident. 3) Warning and public instructions are provided in the immediate area of the incident, not community-wide. 4) Typically resolved by one or two local response agencies or departments acting under an incident commander. 5) Requests for resource support are normally handled through agency and/or departmental channels. 6) May require limited external assistance from other local response agencies or contractors. 7) For the purpose of the NRP, incidents include the full range of occurrences that require an emergency response to protect life or property. b. Emergency. An emergency is a situation larger in scope and more severe in terms of actual or potential effects than an incident. Characteristics include: 1) Involves a large area, significant population, or important facilities. 2) May require implementation of large-scale evacuation or in-place sheltering and implementation of temporary shelter and mass care operations. 3) May require community-wide warning and public instructions. 4) Requires a sizable multi-agency response operating under an Incident Commander. The EOC may be activated. 5) May require some external assistance from other local response agencies, contractors, and limited assistance from state or federal agencies. 6) For the purposes of the NRP, an emergency (as defined by the Stafford Act) is any occasion or instance for which, in the determination of the President, Federal assistance is needed to supplement State and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of catastrophe in any part of the United States. c. Disaster. A disaster involves the occurrence or threat of significant casualties and/or widespread property damage that is beyond the capability of the local government to handle with its organic resources. Characteristics include: 1) Involves a large area, a sizable population, and/or important facilities. 2) May require implementation of large-scale evacuation or in-place sheltering and implementation of temporary shelter and mass care operations. 3) Requires community-wide warning and public instructions. 4) Requires a response by most or all local response agencies. The EOC and one or more incident command posts (ICP) may be activated. 5) Requires significant external assistance from other local response agencies, contractors, and extensive state or federal assistance. 6) For the purposes of the NRP, a major disaster (as defined by the Stafford Act) is any catastrophe, regardless of the cause, which in the determination of the N-2

6 President causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster federal assistance. d. Catastrophic Incident. For the purposes of the NRP, this term is used to describe any natural or manmade occurrence that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, property damage, or disruptions that severely affect the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, and/or government functions. An occurrence of this magnitude would result in sustained national impacts over prolonged periods of time, and would immediately overwhelm local and state capabilities. B. Assumptions 1. Many emergency situations occur with little or no warning. If warning is available, alerting the public, recommending suitable protective actions, taking preventative measures, and increasing the readiness of and deploying emergency response forces may lessen the impact of some emergency situations. 2. We will use our own resources to respond to emergency situations and, if needed, request external assistance from other jurisdictions pursuant to mutual aid agreements or from the State. Since it takes time to summon external assistance, it is essential for us to be prepared to carry out the initial emergency response on an independent basis. 3. Emergency operations will be directed by local officials, except where state or federal law provides that a state or federal agency must or may take charge or where local responders lack the necessary expertise and equipment to cope with the incident and agree to permit those with the expertise and resources to take charge. 4. Effective direction and control requires suitable facilities, equipment, procedures, and trained personnel. Direction and control function facilities will be activated and staffed on a graduated basis as needed to respond to the needs of specific situations. 5. Our County has adopted the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and we have implemented all of the NIMS procedures and protocols, which will allow us to effectively work with our mutual aid partners, and state and federal agencies during any type if incident response. A. General V. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS 1. Our direction and control structure for emergency operations is pursuant to the NIMS, which employs two levels of incident management structures. a. The Incident Command System (ICS) includes a core set of concepts, principles, and terminology applicable to single or multiple incidents regardless of their scope. N-3

7 b. Multiagency Coordination Systems integrate a combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications into a common framework, which allows for the coordination and support of incident management. 2. An Incident Commander (IC) using response resources from one or two departments or agencies, will normally handle emergency situations classified as incidents. The EOC will generally not be activated. 3. During major emergencies, disasters, or catastrophic incidents, a Multiagency Coordination System may be advisable. Central to this System is the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which is the nucleus of all coordination of information and resources. The Incident Commander will manage and direct the on-scene response from the ICP. The EOC will mobilize and deploy resources for use by the Incident Commander, coordinate external resource and technical support, research problems, provide information to senior managers, disseminate emergency public information, and perform other tasks to support on-scene operations. 4. For some types of emergency situations, the EOC may be activated without activating an incident command operation. Such situations may include: a. When a threat of hazardous conditions exists but those conditions have not yet impacted the local area. The EOC may accomplish initial response actions, such as mobilizing personnel and equipment and issuing precautionary warning to the public. When the hazard impacts, an ICP may be established, and direction and control of the response transitioned to the Incident Commander. b. When the emergency situation does not have a specific impact site, but rather affects a wide portion of the local area, such as an ice storm. 5. For operational flexibility, both ICS and EOC operations may be sized according to the anticipated needs of the situation. The structure of ICS is specifically intended to provide a capability to expand and contract with the magnitude of the emergency situation and the resources committed to it. The EOC may also be activated on a graduated basis. B. Incident Command Operations 1. The first local emergency responder to arrive at the scene of an emergency situation will serve as the Incident Commander until relieved by a more senior or more qualified individual. The Incident Commander will establish an ICP, provide an assessment of the situation to local officials, identify response resources required, and direct the on-scene response from the ICP. 2. The Incident Commander is responsible for carrying out the ICS function of command making operational decisions to manage the incident. The four other major management activities that form the basis of ICS are operations, planning, logistics, and finance/administration. For small-scale incidents, the Incident Commander and one or two individuals may perform all of these functions. For more serious emergency situations, individuals from various local departments or agencies or from external response organizations may be assigned to separate ICS staff sections charged with N-4

8 those functions. For these serious emergency situations, it is generally desirable to transition to a Unified Command. 3. If the EOC has been activated, the Incident Commander shall provide periodic situation updates to the EOC. 4. In emergency situations where other jurisdictions or state or federal agencies are providing significant response resources or technical assistance, it is generally desirable to transition from the normal ICS structure to a Unified Area Command structure. This arrangement helps to ensure that all participating agencies are involved in developing objectives and strategies to deal with the emergency. C. EOC Operations 1. The EOC may be activated to monitor a potential emergency situation or to respond to or recover from an emergency situation that is occurring or has occurred. The EOC will be activated at a level necessary to carry out the tasks that must be performed. The level of activation may range from a situation monitoring operation with minimal staff; to a limited activation involving selected departmental representatives, to a full activation involving all departments, agencies, volunteer organizations, and liaison personnel. 2. The principal functions of the EOC are to: a. Monitor potential threats. b. Support on-scene response operations. c. Receive, compile, and display data on the emergency situation and resource status and commitments as a basis for planning. d. Analyze problems and formulate options for solving them. e. Coordinate among local agencies and between the County and state and federal agencies, if required. f. Develop and disseminate warnings and emergency public information. g. Prepare and disseminate periodic reports. h. Coordinate damage assessments activities and assess the health, public safety, local facilities, and the local economy. i. Request external assistance from other jurisdictions, volunteer organizations, businesses, or from the State. D. ICS - EOC INTERFACE 1. When both an ICP and the EOC have been activated, it is essential to establish a division of responsibilities between the ICP and the EOC. A general division of responsibilities is outlined below. It is essential that a precise division of responsibilities be determined for specific emergency operations. N-5

9 2. The IC is generally responsible for field operations, including: a. Isolating the scene. b. Directing and controlling the on-scene response to the emergency situation and managing the emergency resources committed there. c. Warning the population in the area of the incident and providing emergency instructions to them. d. Determining and implementing protective measures (evacuation or in-place sheltering) for the population in the immediate area of the incident and for emergency responders at the scene. e. Implementing traffic control arrangements in and around the incident scene. f. Requesting additional resources from the EOC. g. Keeping the EOC informed of the current situation at the incident site. 3. The EOC is generally responsible for: a. Mobilizing and deploying resources to be employed by the IC. b. Issuing community-wide warning. c. Issuing instructions and providing information to the general public. d. Organizing and implementing large-scale evacuation and coordinating traffic control for such operations. e. Organizing and implementing shelter and mass care arrangements for evacuees. f. Requesting assistance from the State and other external sources. 4. Transition of Responsibilities Provisions must be made for an orderly transition of responsibilities between the ICP and the EOC. a. From EOC to the ICP. In some situations the EOC may be operating to monitor a potential hazard and manage certain preparedness activities prior to establishment of an ICP. When an ICP is activated under these circumstances, it is essential that the IC receive a detailed initial situation update from the EOC and be advised of any operational activities that are already in progress, resources available, and resources already committed. b. From the ICP to the EOC. When an incident command operation is concluded and the EOC continues to operate to manage residual response and recovery activities, it N-6

10 is essential that the IC brief the EOC on any on-going tasks or operational issues that require follow-on action by the EOC staff. 5. Extended EOC Operations While an incident command operation is normally deactivated when the response to an emergency situation is complete, it may be necessary to continue activation of EOC into the initial part of the recovery phase of an emergency. In the recovery phase, the EOC may be staffed to compile damage assessments, assess long term needs, manage donations, monitor the restoration of utilities, oversee access control to damaged areas, and other tasks. 6. In some large-scale emergencies or disasters, emergency operations with different objectives may be conducted at geographically separated scenes, in which case it may be necessary to employ a Unified Area Command. In such situations, more than one incident command post may be established. In this situation occurs, it is particularly important that the allocation of resources to specific field operations be coordinated through the EOC. E. Activities by Phases of Management 1. Mitigation a. Establish, equip, and maintain an EOC. b. Identify required EOC staffing; see Tab B to Appendix 1. c. Prepare maintain maps, displays, databases, reference materials, and other information needed to support ICP and EOC operations. d. Identify and stock supplies needed for ICP and EOC operations. e. Develop and maintain procedures for activating, operating, and deactivating the EOC. See Appendix 1 and its tabs. 2. Preparedness a. Identify department/agency/volunteer group representatives who will serve on the EOC staff and are qualified to serve in various ICP positions. b. Pursuant to NIMS protocol, conduct NIMS training for department/agency/volunteer group representatives who will staff the EOC and ICP. c. Maintain maps, displays, databases, reference materials, and other information needed to support ICP and EOC operations d. Test and maintain EOC equipment to ensure operational readiness. e. Exercise the EOC at least once a year. N-7

11 f. Maintain a resource management program that includes identifying, acquiring, allocating, and tracking resources. 3. Response a. Activate an ICP and the EOC if necessary. b. Conduct response operations. c. Deactivate ICP and EOC when they are no longer needed. 4. Recovery a. If necessary, continue EOC activation to support recovery operations. b. Deactivate EOC when situation permits. c. Restock ICP and EOC supplies if necessary. d. For major emergencies and disasters, conduct a review of emergency operations as a basis for updating plans, procedures, and training requirements. VI. ORGANIZATION & ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES A. Organization 1. Our normal emergency organization, described in Section VI.A of the Basic Plan, will carry out the direction and control function during emergency situations. 2. The organization of incident command operations will be pursuant to NIMS organizational principles. The specific organizational elements to be activated for an emergency will be determined by the IC based on the tasks that must be performed and the resources available for those tasks. 3. The organization of the EOC is depicted in Tab A to Appendix 1. The EOC may be activated on a graduated basis. Department/agency/volunteer group EOC staffing requirements will be determined by the County Judge and/or the EMC based on the needs of the situation. B. Assignment of Responsibilities All personnel assigned responsibilities in this plan are trained on NIMS concepts, procedures, and protocols. 1. The County Judge or his direct designee will: a. Establish general policy guidance for emergency operations. b. Direct that the EOC be partially or fully activated. N-8

12 c. When appropriate, terminate EOC operations. 2. The EMC will: a. Develop and maintain the EOC Staff Roster and EOC operating procedures. b. Activate the EOC when requested or when the situation warrants. c. Serve as an EOC Supervisor. d. Advise the County Judge or his designee on emergency management activities. e. Coordinate resource and information support for emergency operations. f. Coordinate emergency planning and impact assessment. g. Coordinate analysis of emergency response and recovery problems and development of appropriate courses of action. 3. The IC will: a. Establish an ICP and direct and control emergency operations at the scene. b. Determine the need for and implement public warning and protective actions at and in the vicinity of the incident site. c. Provide periodic situation updates to the EOC, if that facility is activated. d. Identify resource requirements to the EOC, if that facility is activated. 4. Departments/Agencies, and Volunteer Groups assigned responsibilities for ICP or EOC operations will: a. Identify and train personnel to carry out required emergency functions at the ICP and the EOC. b. Provide personnel to staff the ICP and the EOC when those facilities are activated. c. Ensure that personnel participating in ICP and EOC operations are provided with the equipment, resource data, reference materials, and other work aids needed to accomplish their emergency functions. VII. DIRECTION & CONTROL A. General. The County Judge or his designee will provide general guidance for the direction and control function, pursuant to NIMS protocols. B. Incident Command Operations. The first responder on the scene will take charge and serve as the IC until relieved by a more senior or qualified individual or an individual N-9

13 designated by the County Judge or his designee. An ICP will normally be established at the incident scene; the IC will direct and control response forces from that command post. Attachment 7 to our Basic Plan provides a detailed description of our incident management system, the NIMS. C. EOC Operations 1. The County Judge or his designee may request that the EOC be activated. A decision to activate the EOC is typically made on the basis of staff recommendations. 2. The EMC and staff may activate the EOC, will normally determine the level of EOC staffing required based upon the situation, and also notify appropriate personnel to report to the EOC. 3. Any department or agency head dealing with a significant health or safety issue that requires inter-agency coordination may request that the County Judge and/or the EMC activate the EOC to provide a suitable facility to work the issue. 4. The EMC/Assistant EMC will serve as the EOC Supervisor/ EOC Supervisors. VIII. READINESS LEVELS A. Level 4--Normal Conditions See the mitigation and preparedness activities in sections V.E.1 and V.E.2. B. Level 3--Increased Readiness 1. Check status of EOC equipment and repair or replace as needed. 2. Check status of EOC supplies and restock as needed. 3. Update EOC resource data. 4. Alert staffs, determine personnel availability, and update EOC staff call lists. 5. Consider limited activation of EOC to monitor situation. 6. Consider situation briefings for senior staff. C. Level 2-- High Readiness 1. Update EOC staffing requirements based on threat. 2. Determine specific EOC staff assignments and alert staff. 3. Monitor potential emergency situation and determine possible impact areas. 4. Update maps, charts, displays, and resource data. N-10

14 5. Consider situation briefings for EOC staff. 6. Consider partial activation of EOC if this has not already been accomplished. 7. Check status of Alternate EOC and/or Mobile Command Post. D. Level 1-- Maximum Readiness 1. Summon EOC staff and activate the EOC. 2. Monitor situation. 3. Update maps, charts, displays, and resource lists. 4. Arrange for food service if needed. 5. Determine possible hazard impact areas and potential hazard effects. 6. Conduct briefings for senior staff and EOC staff. 7. Formulate and implement precautionary measures to protect the public. 8. Coordinate with adjacent jurisdictions that may be affected. IX. ADMINISTRATION & SUPPORT A. Facilities & Equipment 1. EOC a. The County EOC is located at the Commerce Police Department, Commerce, Texas, and is maintained by the Commerce Police Department. b. The EOC is equipped with the following communication equipment necessary for conducting emergency operations: See Annex B, Communications, for communications connectivity. c. The EOC is equipped with emergency generator and a 7 day supply of fuel. d. The EOC has emergency water supplies for 2 days of operation. e. Food for the EOC staff will be provided by: local vendors. 2. Alternate EOC N-11

15 a. Should the primary EOC become unusable, the alternate EOC is located at Texas A&M University-Commerce and is owned and maintained by the university and will be used to manage emergency operations. b. Communications available at this facility include: VHF, UHF, TV, Internet projectors, smartboard, cell phone booster. c. Facility limitations at the Alternate EOC include: No P25 VHF, no P25 UHF, no 700/800 radios. 3. Mobile Command Post B. Records a. The Incident Command may request that the Mobile Command Post, operated by the Commerce Police Department, Commerce, Texas, be deployed for use as an onscene command post. b. Communications capabilities of the Mobile Command Post include: ACU-T, VHF, UHF mostly wideband and some narrow band. c. Limitations of the Mobile Command Post: No internet, no TV, no 700/800 radios. 1. Activity Logs. The ICP and the EOC shall maintain accurate logs recording key response activities, including: a. Activation or deactivation of emergency facilities. b. Emergency notifications to other local governments and to state and federal agencies. c. Significant changes in the emergency situation. d. Major commitments of resources or requests for additional resources from external sources. e. Issuance of protective action recommendations to the public. f. Evacuations. g. Casualties. h. Containment or termination of the incident. The EOC shall utilize the Emergency Operations Center Log (Tab E to Appendix 1) to record EOC activities. The ICP shall use the Unit Log (ICS form 214) or an equivalent. 2. Communications & Message Logs N-12

16 Communications facilities shall maintain a communications log. The EOC shall maintain a record of messages sent and received using the EOC Message Log (Tab F to Appendix 1). 3. Cost Information C. Reports a. Incident Costs. All department and agencies shall maintain records summarizing the use of personnel, equipment, and supplies during the response to day-to-day incidents to obtain an estimate of annual emergency response costs that can be used in preparing future department or agency budgets. b. Emergency or Disaster Costs. For major emergencies or disasters, all departments and agencies participating in the emergency response shall maintain detailed of costs for emergency operations to include: 1) Personnel costs, especially overtime costs 2) Operation costs 3) Costs for leased or rented equipment 4) Costs for contract services to support emergency operations 5) Costs of specialized supplies expended for emergency operations These records may be used to recover costs from the responsible party or insurers or as a basis for requesting reimbursement for certain allowable response and recovery costs from the state and/or federal government. 1. Initial Emergency Report An Initial Emergency Report should be prepared and disseminated for major emergencies and disasters where state assistance may be required. This short report is designed to provide basic information about an emergency situation. See Appendix 2 for the report format. 2. Situation Report For major emergencies and disasters where emergency response operations continue over an extended period, a Situation Report should be prepared and disseminated daily. This report is designed to keep the Disaster District, other jurisdictions providing resource support for emergency operations, and jurisdictions that may be affected by the emergency situation informed about the current status of operations. See Appendix 3 for the report format. D. Agreements & Contracts Should our local resources prove to be inadequate during an emergency, requests will be made for assistance from other neighboring jurisdictions, other agencies, and industry in accordance with existing mutual aid agreements and contracts. N-13

17 E. EOC Security 1. Access to the EOC will be limited during activation. All staff members will sign in upon entry. 2. Individuals who are not members of the EOC staff will be identified and their reason for entering the EOC determined. EOC administrative staff will issue a visitor badge to those visitors with a valid need to enter the EOC, which will be surrendered upon departure. F. Media Media relations will be conducted pursuant to the NIMS. See Annex I, Public Information. A. Development X. ANNEX DEVELOPMENT & MAINTENANCE 1. The County Judge and/or the EMC is responsible for the development and maintenance of this annex. 2. The County Judge and/or the EMC is responsible for the development and maintenance of EOC Standard Operating Procedures. B. Maintenance. This annex will be reviewed annually and updated in accordance with the schedule outlined in Section X of the Basic Plan. XI. REFERENCES A. GDEM, Local Emergency Management Planning Guide (DEM-10) B. FEMA, Guide for All-Hazard Emergency Operations Planning (SLG-101). N-14

18 APPENDICES Appendix 1... Emergency Operations Center Tab A Tab B Tab C Tab D Tab E Tab F Tab G Tab H EOC Organization EOC Staff Roster EOC Activation/Deactivation EOC Operations EOC Log EOC Message Log EOC Message Form EOC Info/Action Record Appendix 2... Initial Emergency Report Appendix 3... Situation Report N-15

19 Appendix 1 to Annex N EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER 1. Organization & Staffing a. The general organization of the EOC during a full activation for emergency operations is depicted in Tab A to this appendix. For a partial activation of the EOC, only those staff members required to deal with a particular emergency situation will be summoned to the EOC. b. A sample EOC Staff Roster is provided in Tab B to this appendix. The [EMC/City Manager/Other] shall maintain and distribute a current EOC Staff Roster, including the names of EOC team members and contact information (office and home telephone numbers and pager numbers) for those individuals. 2. Facilities a. Procedures for activation and deactivating the EOC [and alternate EOC] are provided in Tab C. 3. EOC Operations General operating guidelines for the EOC are provided in Tab D. 4. EOC Log The Basic Plan requires that the EOC maintain accurate logs recording response activities, Including: a. Activation and deactivation of the EOC. b. Emergency notifications to other local governments and to state and federal agencies. c. Significant changes in the emergency situation. d. Major commitments of resources or requests for additional resources from external sources. e. Issuance of protective action recommendations to the public. f. Evacuations. g. Casualties. h. Containment or termination of an incident. The EOC Log, provided in Tab E shall be used to record this information and other pertinent information. N-1-1

20 Appendix 1 to Annex N 5. Message Handling a. All messages sent by or received in the EOC will be recorded in the EOC Message Log, a copy of which is provided in Tab F. b. Outgoing messages will normally be prepared on an EOC Message Form, which is also used to specify how the message should be sent and record the time of dispatch and message number. A copy of the form is provided in Tab G to this appendix. Typed messages may simply be attached to the form. c. Incoming verbal messages will be recorded on an EOC Info/Action Record, a copy of which is provided in Tab H to this appendix. For messages that require action, the form is used to assign responsibility for action to EOC staff members and to record the action taken. N-1-2

21 Tab A to Appendix 1 EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ORGANIZATION CHART Judge Emergency Management Coordinator EOC Supervisor Deputy Operations Group Liaison Personnel Support Group Law Enforcement American Red Cross Administrative staff Fire & Rescue The Salvation Army Public Information Heath & Medical Other Volunteer Groups Legal Resource Management School Districts Communications Shelter & Mass Care EOC Security Public Works Utilities Human Services Transportation Donations Management Recovery Animal Control Direction Coordination N-1-A-1

22 Tab B to Appendix 1 EOC STAFF ROSTER Position EOC Supervisor Deputy Operations Group: Law Enforcement Fire & Rescue Health & Medical Resource Management Shelter & Mass Care Public Works Utilities Human Services Transportation Animal Control 1 st Shift Midnight to Noon 2 nd Shift Noon to Midnight Support Group: Administration #1 #2 Communications Legal Security Liaison: American Red Cross VFW Volunteers N-1-B-1

23 Tab C to Appendix 1 EOC ACTIVATION/DEACTIVATION 1. General a. The County Judge or his designee may request that the EOC be activated. A decision to activate the EOC is typically made on the basis of staff recommendations. b. The EMC and staff may activate the EOC and will normally determine the level of EOC staffing required based upon the situation. c. The EMC is responsible for maintaining the EOC Staffing Roster and ensuring that appropriate EOC staff members are notified to report to the EOC in the event the facility is activated. 2. Activation Checklist Action Determine level of EOC staffing required. Make notifications to the appropriate EOC staff and liaison personnel Advise the County switchboard and Dispatch Center that EOC is being activated. Move EOC status boards from storage closet and mount. Check and clean all EOC map boards Test EOC telephones Turn on and test EOC fax in communications room. Activate and test radios in communications room. (Qualified communications operator only) Activate EOC computer and printer; test function and Internet access. Check operation of EOC copier and ensure copier paper is available. Turn on the two EOC TV monitors. Check operation of EOC VCR and ensure blank tapes are available. Check status of supplies and forms in the EOC work area and replenish from storage closet. Test emergency generator and determine fuel status. Make arrangements for fuel delivery if required. Secure EOC entrance and set out EOC sign-in roster. Ensure Conference Room is cleared out for work use. Determine requirements for food service. 3. Deactivation Checklist N-1-C-1

24 Tab C to Appendix 1 Action The EMC shall collect the EOC Log, EOC Message Log, the master file of incoming and outgoing messages, the EOC Sign-in Roster, and other specified materials and retain those for reference. Advise County switchboard and Dispatch Center that EOC is being deactivated. Remove EOC status boards from walls, clean, and return to storage closet. Clean all EOC map boards. Turn off EOC fax in communications room. Deactivate radios in communications room. Deactivate EOC computer and printer. Turn off EOC copier and replenish copier paper. Turn off the two EOC TV monitors. Ensure EOC VCR is turned off. Replenish working supplies and forms from storage closet. Determine generator fuel status and arrange for refueling if necessary. If Conference Room was used as a work area, ensure it is cleaned up. Arrange for cleaning of EOC and removal of trash, if necessary, N-1-C-2

25 Tab D to Appendix 1 EOC OPERATIONS 1. EOC Staff Responsibilities A. The EOC Supervisor 1) Monitor emergency operations and directs EOC operations. 2) Screen incoming messages, determines disposition and distribution. 3) Assign responsibility for responding to request for resources or information or formulating options for solving problems to Staff Officers. 4) Review proposed options for solving problems and select and implement an appropriate course of action. 5) Approve outgoing messages and reports for release. 6) Make request for external assistance or approve requests made by other members of the EOC staff. 7) Conduct periodic update briefing for EOC staff and elected officials. B. Administrative Staff 1) Logger a) Number incoming & outgoing messages. b) Record all messages in the EOC Message Log (Tab G to Appendix 1). 2) Distribution Clerk a) Picks up incoming messages from communications and delivers to EOC Supervisor. b) Delivers outgoing message traffic to Communications. c) Reproduces and distributes messages and other materials within the EOC. d) Maintains a file of original incoming and outgoing messages. 3) Poster/Plotter a) Posts incident information on EOC display boards, other than those maintained by Action Officers. b) Plot incident information on EOC maps. c) Assists the Distribution Clerk. 4) Writer a) At the direction of the EOC Supervisor, records key events in the EOC Log (Tab F to Appendix 1). b) Prepares EOC reports. c) Prepares outgoing messages that require typing. d) Assists the distribution Clerk and the Logger. C. Staff Officers N-1-D-1

26 Tab D to Appendix 1 Staff Officers include representatives of departments and agencies that compose the Operations Group and the Support Group, as well as liaison personnel from volunteer groups. 1) Have knowledge of their organizational resources and expertise in their use. 2) Forward and respond to requests for emergency resources or information from their department, agency, or group, coordinating as necessary with their parent organization. 3) Receive emergency information and enter it into the EOC information system. 4) Work with other staff Officers to resolve problems that multi-agency action 5) Maintain pertinent display boards and maps. D. Public Information Staff 1) Develops and disseminates appropriate emergency public information through news releases, briefing, and, where appropriate, emergency information system. 2) Handles media inquiries. E. Communication Staff 2. Information Flow 1) Receives incoming EOC messages and transmits outgoing EOC messages. 2) Maintain the required communication log. A. Incoming Messages 1) Record Traffic. Incoming messages and faxes will be delivered to Logger for assignment of a message number and then to the EOC Supervisor or Deputy for review. Incoming messages will be numbered sequentially with an R prefix; outgoing messages will be numbered sequentially with an S prefix. 2) Verbal Messages. Incoming verbal messages may be received by anyone on the EOC staff. The substance of calls which request resources or information, provide information relating to the emergency situation, or are otherwise pertinent to EOC operations will be recorded by the individual receiving the verbal message on an Emergency Action Record (Tab 1 to Appendix 1), which will be delivered to the Logger for assignment of a message number and then to the EOC Supervisor or Deputy for review. B. Screening Messages. 1) The EOC Supervisor or Deputy shall screen incoming traffic and determine how it is to be handled. Messages typically fall into two categories: (a) those that provide information about an emergency and N-1-D-1

27 Tab D to Appendix 1 (b) those that request resources support or information or identify problems and, thus require action. 2) For messages that provide information only, the EOC Supervisor or Deputy will indicate whether the information should be posted on display boards or plotted on map boards by checking the appropriate block on EOC forms or hand stamping a Disposition box on other types of messages. The EOC Supervisor or Deputy shall also indicate the distribution of each message in the approximate block. The EOC Supervisor or Deputy may also highlight information in the message that is to be included in periodic Situation Report. All messages that are received will be logged, but messages that are not pertinent to the emergency situation will not be distributed. C. Exchange of Information 1) All Staff Officers are expected to keep the EOC Supervisor or Deputy advised, either verbally or by a note, of important information relating to emergency operations they receive and significant response or recovery issues they identify. 2) Staff Officers who receive information that may affect the conduct of other emergency functions are expected to provide that information to Staff Officers responsible for those functions in a timely manner. 3. Task Response & Problem Solving A. The EOC Supervisor or Deputy will assign responsibility to specific Staff Officers for responding to request for resources or information or for formulating solutions to emergency response and recovery problems. Tasks will normally be assigned using the Emergency Info/Action Record form; pertinent message or information may be attached to the form. B. Task Response 1) Staff Officers assigned tasks to provide resources or information are expected to complete the required action and close out the tasking by completing the Action Taken block at the bottom of the Emergency Info/Action Records and returning the form to the EOC Supervisor or Deputy. 2) Staff Officers are expected to complete the specific task assigned as well as any other tasks implied in the original tasking. For example, if the Shelter & Mass Care Staff Officer is given the task of obtaining 400 cots for a shelter, the task includes the explicit task of locating the cots and the implicit task of getting them transported from wherever they are to the shelter. To complete the implicit task, the Shelter & Mass Care Staff Officer may have to coordinate with Transportation Staff Officer to arrange transportation if the supplier of the cots cannot do so. N-1-D-1

28 Tab D to Appendix 1 3) If request for resources or information cannot be satisfied locally, the Staff Officer should advise the EOC Supervisor or Deputy forthwith and identify possible external sources for the resources or information. 4) When responding to requests for resources, it is always advisable for Staff Officers to coordinate with the requestor to confirm specific requirements and coordinate the delivery time and location. Requestors should always be advised of the disposition of their requests. 5) For tasks that will take some time to complete, Staff Officers should provide interim progress reports to the EOC Supervisor or Deputy. C. Problem Solving 1) The EOC Supervisor or Deputy may refer specific response or recovery problems or issues to a Staff Officer or a group of Staff Officers for consideration. The EOC Supervisor or Deputy will normally indicate whether he wants either a preferred solution or a range of options to consider. 1) In developing a preferred solution or a range of options to solve a problem, Staff Officers assigned primary responsibility for the task should coordinate with other Staff Officers who have pertinent expertise and, where appropriate, with external agencies, organizations and groups for assistance. When a range of options is required, it is desirable that those options be prioritized. 4. Status Boards & Maps A. The following EOC status boards will be maintained by staff members indicated: 1) Current Situation: Poster/Plotter 2) Evacuation Status board: Law Enforcement 3) Shelter & Mass Care Status board: Shelter & Mass Care 4) Resource Commitments board: Resource Manager 5) Points of Contact board: Deputy EOC Supervisor 6) Route Status board: Law Enforcement 7) Damage Summary board: EMC B. The following EOC maps will be maintained by the staff members indicated: 5. Reports 1) Current Situation Map: Poster/Plotter 2) Traffic Control map: Law Enforcement 3) Hazmat Facilities/Risk Areas map: Fire Marshal 4) Special Facilities map: Fire Marshal 5) Flood Risk map: Food-plane Administrator N-1-D-1

29 Tab D to Appendix 1 A. When the EOC is activated for a major emergency or disaster for which external assistance may be required, the EOC Supervisor or Deputy will instruct the writer to prepare an initial Emergency Report. See Appendix 2 for format of and addresses for this report. B. The writer will prepare the periodic Situation Report, with guidance on report content provided by the EOC Supervisor or Deputy. See Appendix 3 for the format of and addresses for this report. The report should be issued at least daily; more frequent reports may be appropriate, particularly when circumstances change dramatically. The target time for release of daily reports is 11:00 AM. 6. Briefings A. Situation Updates Briefing. The EOC Supervisor or Deputy shall conduct periodic informal situation update briefings for the EOC staff, recapping the current situation and highlighting ongoing actions and issues to be resolved. Briefings shall be kept short so they will not disrupt ongoing EOC operations. B. Shift Change Briefing. Outgoing EOC team members shall conduct an individual face-to-face turnover briefing to update their replacement on recent and ongoing emergency operations. Such briefings shall always include a detailed review of any tasks in progress or awaiting action that arriving personnel must monitor or complete. C. Media Briefings. The Public Information staff shall schedule and conduct briefings for the media as needed. To preclude disruption of EOC operations, media briefings will not be conducted in the primary EOC work area. 7. EOC Security A. When the EOC is activated, the push button cipher lock on the main door will be activated and EOC staff members must enter the required code to access the EOC. All staff members will wear their EOC Staff badges while in the facility. B. Visitors to the EOC will be identified and their business determined before being admitted to the EOC. Visitors with a valid need to enter the EOC will sign in on the EOC Visitor Log and be provided with an EOC Visitor badge. N-1-D-1

30 Tab E to Appendix 1 EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER LOG Page [Jurisdiction Name] From To Date Hour Date Hour of Pages No. In Time Out Incidents, Activities, Reports, & Actions Taken Initials N-1-E-1

31 Tab F to Appendix 1 Msg # Msg Date/Time Received From EOC MESSAGE LOG Date: Sent To Message Subject N-1-F-1

32 Tab G to Appendix 1 EOC MESSAGE FORM From To Subject Message Text Send By Radio Teletype Fax Date: Time: Message #: DISTRIBUTION: N-1-G-1

33 Tab H to Appendix 1 EOC INFO/ACTION RECORD Date: Time: Message # Received By Message From Contact Number/ Location Message, Issue, Problem or Information: Info Only Post on Display Board Plot on Map Action Required. Action Assigned To: Action Taken DISTRIBUTION: N-1-H-1

34 Appendix 2 to Annex N INITIAL EMERGENCY REPORT 1. PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to advise the State (through the local Disaster District), nearby jurisdictions that may be affected, and jurisdictions that may provide resources under a mutual aid agreement of an incident that has the potential to become a major emergency or disaster. An Initial Incident Report should be dispatched as soon as it becomes apparent that an incident has the potential to become a serious emergency situation. The report should be sent in written form (such as TLETS teletype or facsimile) if possible. If this is infeasible, a verbal report should be made by telephone or radio. 2. FORMAT DATE/ TIME: FROM TO: SUBJECT: Hunt County DPS Garland, Texas, DDC Chairperson [Adjacent affected jurisdictions, jurisdictions from which resources may be requested pursuant to interlocal agreements] INITIAL EMERGENCY REPORT a. TYPE OF INCIDENT: b. DATE & TIME OF OCCURRENCE: c. DESCRIPTION: (a short description of what happened or is occurring) d. AREA AFFECTED: e. RESPONSE ACTIONS UNDERWAY f. ASSISTANCE REQUIRED, IF ANY: g. POINT OF CONTACT INFORMATION: N-2-1

35 Appendix 2 to Annex N 3. SAMPLE MESSAGE [This is a sample message. Do not include in your annex unless used for preformatted messages.] DATE/ TIME: /1820 FROM Disasterville EOC TO: DPS Aurora, DDC Chairperson Hazard County SO Tsunami City PD SUBJECT: INITIAL EMERGENCY REPORT a. TYPE OF INCIDENT: Explosion/Fire/Hazmat Spill b. DATE/TIME OF OCCURRENCE: /1915 c. DESCRIPTION: Peyton Agro-Chem facility on S. Meridian St. exploded. Explosion & resulting fire has destroyed one city block; two more threatened. Possible hazmat plume from stored chemicals. d. AREA AFFECTED: 9 blocks, mostly residential, in Southern Disasterville e. RESPONSE ACTIONS UNDERWAY: Local fire & police at scene, mutual aid from 2 rural VFDs summoned, Tsunami City Hazmat Team enroute. TCEQ representative enroute. f. ASSISTANCE REQUIRED, IF ANY: May need SAR Team and additional Hazmat response resources. Will advise. g. POINT OF CONTACT INFORMATION: Joe Jones, EMC, N-2-2

36 Appendix 3 to Annex N SITUATION REPORT 1. PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to advise the State (through the local Disaster District), nearby jurisdictions that may be affected, and jurisdictions that are providing resources under a mutual aid agreement of the status on an ongoing major emergency situation. It may also be useful to provide this report to local officials who are not working at the EOC to keep them informed of the situation. A Situation Report should be prepared and disseminated at least once a day. The report should be sent in written form (such as TLETS teletype, facsimile, or ). 2. FORMAT DATE/ TIME: /1820 FROM Disasterville EOC TO: DPS Aurora, DDC Chairperson Hazard County SO Tsunami City PD SUBJECT: SITUATION REPORT # 1 FOR [event description] Covering the Period From To a. CURRENT SITUATION [What is being done about the emergency situation and by whom? Are their any problems hampering the emergency response? Is the situation getting worse, remaining stable, or winding down?] b. AREAS AFFECTED: c. RESPONDING AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS: [Include local, state, and federal responders plus volunteer groups] d. CASUALTIES (cumulative): 1. Fatalities 2. Injured: 3. Missing: e. ESTIMATED DAMAGES (cumulative): 1. Homes Destroyed/Damaged: 2. Businesses Destroyed/Damaged: 3. Govt Facilities Destroyed/Damaged: 4. Other: f. EVACUATIONS (cumulative): [Estimated number of evacuees] g. SHELTERS (cumulative): 1. Number of Shelters Open: 2. Estimated Occupants: h. ROAD CLOSURES: i. UTILITY OUTAGES: j. COMMENTS: N-3-1

37 Appendix 3 to Annex N 3. SAMPLE REPORT [This is a sample report. Do not include in your annex unless using as preformatted report for specific situations.] DATE/ TIME: FROM TO: County DPS, DDC Chairperson DPS [DPS Regional Headquarters] [Adjacent affected jurisdictions] [Jurisdictions providing mutual aid resources] SUBJECT: SITUATION REPORT # 1 FOR PEYTON AGRO-CHEM EXPLOSION Covering the Period From To a. CURRENT SITUATION: Fires in downtown buildings have been extinguished. Chemical plant continues to burn. Search & rescue team has recovered 3 bodies in collapsed buildings in downtown area; firefighters recovered another body. Spilled hazmat in temporary dikes and berms being recovered by contractor Hazwaste, Inc. Evacuees at shelter at Wharton School operated by ARC. Pesticide residue may have contaminated 2 residential blocks south of plant; assessment underway by TNRCC and EPA. b. AREAS AFFECTED: 1 business block, 8 residential blocks c. RESPONDING AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS: Local: Disasterville FD, Floodprone VFD, Monon VFD, Casson FD. State: TCEQ, TxDOT, Dept of Ag, TEEX Search & Rescue Team, GDEM RLO Federal: US EPA Volunteers: ARC, Salvation Army d. CASUALTIES (cumulative): 1. Fatalities: 4 2. Injured: Missing: 2 e. ESTIMATED DAMAGES (cumulative): 1. Homes Destroyed/Damaged: 8//12 2. Businesses Destroyed/Damaged: 6/2 3. Govt Facilities Destroyed/Damaged: 1/0 4. Other: f. EVACUATIONS (cumulative): Estimated 260 g. SHELTERS (cumulative): 1. Number of Shelters Open: 1 2. Estimated Occupants: 120 h. ROAD CLOSURES: 1. Monan, Meridian, Western, Key, Travis, Fox, Tiber, Alstead, and Calhoun Streets in southern portion of city 2. County Road 124 between city limits and Co. Rd 150. i. UTILITY OUTAGES: Electrical and water service shut off to four blocks of downtown. j. COMMENTS: 1. Fire Marshal expects fire at chem plant to burn itself out this evening. Some fire units will be released at that time. 2. TCEQ believes it will take another 24 hours to fully map contaminated areas of downtown. 3. Search and rescue team believes it will complete search of collapsed bldgs this evening. N-3-2